RPM’s Album Ratings

As far as I’m concerned, rating music is a bit silly at the best of times. And yet, I still attach ratings to my music reviews. It’s just one more datum to help other listeners get a sense of what they’re in for, and not the most important by any means. But if I’m going to rate things, it might be helpful for my listeners to know what each rating means. So:

JUST THE WORST: completely unlistenable

AWFUL: maybe a couple of redeeming qualities, but most of the record is positively bad

BAD: one or two decent songs, but definitely not recommended

NOT VERY GOOD: a handful of decent songs. Nothing unlistenable, but decidedly below average

PASSABLE: not a struggle to get through, but nothing to hold my interest long-term

DECENT: some fine songs, but unlikely to listen to full album again

SOLID: likely to listen to individual tracks again, if not full album

GOOD: Likely to listen to full album again – several good-to-excellent tracks, few missteps